Strand Campus Tour
Strand Campus How to use Experienced ambassadors: please help get this guide started by adding in any anecdotes, facts or information you use when giving campus tours. Everyone is welcome to add in information. Use your own skills - eg Law Students can help fill out the information on Somerset House East Wing, or someone interested in history could do some research into King’s past and find out some interesting facts. If you’re great at proofreading then you could help correct errors and make sure everything is in plain English and easy to understand. The information has been ordered as per the self guided tour. You can add in extra locations – please try and find a logical place to put them. For new facts or information, please provide sources where possible (eg a web link). We may delete the source link once it’s been verified. This is your resource to use, so don’t be afraid to add, change or remove things. General tour tips *Use this information to create your own tour that you feel comfortable delivering – don’t try and cram in so many facts that you aren’t concentrating on being a good tour guide. Being friendly, attentive and open to questions are most important. *Tailor your tour to the people you are guiding – e.g. for a group of prospective students you might want to focus more on the academic information and student facilities, whereas a group of external VIPs might be less interested in the students union and more interested in the history of the College. *Make sure to speak loudly, and check with your group that they can hear you. Strand Campus - General *For students in the Schools of Arts & Humanities, Natural & Mathematical Sciences, Social Science & Public Policy and The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s Strand Campus couldn’t be in a better location. Directly overlooking the Thames, it is midway between the Houses of Parliament and St Paul’s Cathedral, next door to Somerset House 1 and the Courtauld Institute of Art and across the road from the Royal Courts of Justice. Our magnificent Maughan Library in Chancery Lane is in one of London’s most distinguished Victorian buildings, and within five minutes’ walk of the Strand are Covent Garden, many West End theatres, and Trafalgar Square, home to the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. *It is an exciting time for King’s as we have acquired the East Wing of Somerset House, as an extension to our Strand Campus. This gives the College access to one of London’s most beautiful and iconic buildings and provides stylish new accommodation for the Dickson Poon School of Law, space for arts and cultural activities and continuing education, and a learning centre. Strand reception *King’s College London was founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington (then Prime Minister) in 1829 as a university college in the tradition of the Church of England, becoming one of the two founding colleges of the University of London in 1836. Professors here played a major part in 19th century science, and in extending higher education to women and working men. King’s has a rich history of high achievers, and the figures you see on the front of the Strand Building are part of our ‘hall of fame’ stretching 90 metres along our Strand frontage. These alumni have all played their part in marking King’s position as England’s fourth-oldest university and one of the world’s top 30 universities (QS World University Rankings, 2011). *Inside reception, you will see student computing kiosks. These allow students and staff to freely access their emails and the internet. There is also a cashpoint here, and a 3D map of the campus to your left. Quad *The Grade I listed King’s Building was designed in 1831 by Sir Robert Smirk and has seen 180 years of student footfall through its doors. Outside you can see two statues above the doors, which symbolise King’s motto of ‘sancte et sapienter’ – ‘holiness and wisdom’. Smirk was one of the architects of the British Museum and the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Somerset House East Wing *King’s recently acquired the East Wing of this historic building, which has its origins in Tudor London. The present day structure was finished in the late 18th century and has housed some of Britain’s most important institutions such as the Royal Academy of Arts, the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries. Opened by Her Majesty the Queen in February 2012, the East Wing now provides a stunning location for the newly opened Dickson Poon School of Law, funded by a generous £20m donation from the Hong Kong-based philanthropist. Also located here are the Inigo Rooms for Research and Creativity, an innovative approach to combining arts and academia through exhibition space, and also home to King’s Cultural Partners. Old Entrance Hall *The two statues in the old entrance hall are 19th century statues of Sappho, a Greek poetess, and Sophocles, a Greek dramatist, and were donated to the College in 1920. Just behind Sappho on the staircase, you will see Reggie the Lion, who is the official mascot of King’s College London Students’ Union (KCLSU). Now nearing his 90th birthday, Reggie has an identical twin in the KCLSU Student Centre in Waterloo, and has been the subject of various student misappropriations over the years. The students’ union newspaper, ‘''ROAR''’, is named in his honour. Great Hall *The Great Hall is used for College functions, careers events, lectures with guest speakers…and those all important exams! The plaque outside the Hall lists speakers at our annual Commemoration Orations over the years, which have included former Prime Minister Tony Blair, King’s alumnus Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre *This state-of-the-art lecture theatre incorporates continuous oak writing desks and low-level task lighting, evoking the atmosphere of the original theatre. It is equipped to a very high standard and our students benefit from full audio-visual teaching facilities. South Range Teaching Rooms (eg K.018) *These teaching rooms vary in size and accommodate between 12 and 49 people in total. Chapters, Somerset Cafe *Chapters is our main student refreshment area on the Strand Campus, and offers a wide range of food and drink, whilst the gallery up above provides comfortable seating and wireless connection. *Both Large and Small Somerset Rooms form part of King’s social spaces, and also host numerous events and College dinners. Chapel *A remarkable piece of Victorian architecture, the Chapel underwent a £750,000 restoration in 2001 to bring it back to its former glory. Open to all staff, students and public visitors, the regular services here represent many different traditions, and we play host to some excellent visiting preachers during term-time. *The College Chaplaincy offers friendship, pastoral support, and opportunities for worship, learning and enjoyment to all members of King’s students and staff, regardless of faith or personal convictions. The chaplains are available to see members of the College on any *matter, personal or spiritual, in complete confidence. *Outside the Chapel you will also notice some interesting commemorative alumni plaques, including one to Joseph Lister, the father of antiseptic surgery. Council Room and Old Committee Room *These impressive rooms are used for College Committee meetings, and VIP receptions and have housed some of our most important moments. The Old Committee Room contains paintings of many of our former Principals and Deans. K2.31 – JKTL Nash Lecture Theatre *Named after former Assistant Principal and Professor of Civil Engineering John Nash, this 91 capacity lecture theatre has been newly refurbished and equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. Opposite you will see a plaque in honour of James Clerk Maxwell, whose equations, published whilst he was a professor at King’s, formed the basis of classical electrodynamics, and underlie modern electrical and communications technologies. Main Corridor (ground floor) *The main corridor is a bustling thoroughfare of students and academics alike. Here are school noticeboards and a student information exchange, with the Study Abroad and Internships Offices on your left. *The Centre for Arts & Sciences Admissions office is on your right-hand side, nearby to the King’s India Institute. Opened in 2012, the Institute is a focal point in London for research and teaching on contemporary India, organising regular seminars, lectures and round-table discussions. Members are actively engaged in dialogue and debate with government, policy-makers, media and industry in India, the UK and beyond. The Bridge, King’s Careers & Employability Service *Representing the ‘bridge’ between students’ academic and professional careers, here is a space devoted to careers and employability learning and skills development, with skills sessions and volunteering schemes run jointly by KCLSU and the King’s Careers & Employability service. *King’s Careers & Employability supports students at every level of study with all aspects of career management. KCLSU *Named after King’s alumnus Sir Ivison Macadam, the first President of the National Union of Students (NUS), The Macadam Building acts as a real student hub on the Strand Campus with a mixture of College-run and KCLSU-run services. KCLSU is an independent charity that exists to support King’s students and have facilities on three campuses – Guy’s, Strand and Waterloo. KCLSU is student-led, with those elected holding a number of positions on the governing board as well as on committees such as the Student Council. Importantly, this means that our students have a say in the way that King’s works. *All students at King’s automatically become members of KCLSU and can access its services and benefits, including a two week ‘Welcome’ programme for all new students, over 150 student activity groups and 60 sports groups to join, live gig and club nights, and a fitness centre (at the Waterloo Campus). The Compass *King’s has a ‘one stop shop’ for current students, providing information, advice, documentation and replacement ID cards. The Compass@Strand offers drop-in sessions with specialist advisors, accessible to students on all sites via telephone, email and the web, and via Compass Online. *The Student Advice & International Student Support team will be on hand for weekly drop-in sessions and appointments, as will members of the Disability Advisory Service. *Accommodation Services is also based in the Compass The Terrace Cafe *Here is a newly-refurbished café serving light refreshments during the day, and a large area for relaxing, study and meeting friends. There is also an outdoor terrace which affords fantastic views over the Thames to the South Bank. Waterfront Bar *The KCLSU-run Waterfront is another fantastic place to meet friends for some post-study winding down. Open from 09.00 for coffee, pastries and sandwiches, the bar is fully licensed from midday and serves a range of snacks and meals. Tutu’s *Every week KCLSU provides a wide range of events and entertainment in its late night, two-storey 600 capacity venue called ‘Tutu’s’ (named after our alumnus Archbishop Desmond Tutu). The Gossip, Bruno Mars, The Long Blondes, The Fratellis, Richard Ashcroft, The Zutons and Guillemots are but a few who have graced the stage. Open Learning Centre (K-1.072) *The Open Learning Centre is available to all students learning a language, whether enrolled on full-time or part-time courses with the Modern Language Centre, or on degree programmes having a language component. Offering over 25 languages, we provide cutting-edge learning facilities in a friendly learning environment. Arthur & Paula Lucas Lecture Theatre (S-2.18) *This lecture theatre seats 300 people, and is also used for conferences and film screenings.